A nice view across a Venelles vineyard towards Mont Sainte Victoire.

From Temple Bar, La Ciotat.

I wonder how many of the 13 million pints of Guinness drunk around the world on St Patrick’s Day are downed in France?

Another new bird visited the garden today – one I’d never seen before.

It was un bruyant fou or a rock bunting.

Although I think bruyant fou also means noisy fool – which seems a bit harsh.

It had a lovely humbug head and chestnut back with a long tail.

It hung around for quite some time. Hopefully he’ll become a regular visitor.

I’ve added it to my life list.

Once again, one of our neighbours has decided to chop down some pine trees.

I think it was the same team of bûcherons as last year.

These pine trees were near the entrance to the house so we were warned to move our car if we wanted to be able to come and go during the day.

At least this time no tree came crashing into our garden.

I’m worried about the crested tits who I regularly saw in those trees. Let’s hope they find a new home.

Cath went on a day-trip to Lyon and brought me back some tasty treats from our former home.

It included this praluline.

Invented by Auguste Pralus in 1955 in Roanne, this brioche rich in butter and pink pralines is a real Lyon classic – and utterly delicious.

And of course there were impressive displays in the chocolate shops.

Merci Cath.

The sheep have been putting in a shift these last few days.

First they were in a field on one side of the road, then a field on the other side, then back across to another field – they must be exhausted.

I wonder where they’ll pop up next?

While driving down our road today, two of the fields by the roadside were full of sheep.

I’ve never seen any sheep here before but all of a sudden they were partout.

I guess they have been brought in to keep the grass cropped.

There were sheep as far as the eye could see. They were wearing des cloches.

But I didn’t see any à cinq pattes.

Regarde ça.

Le marchand des légumes à l’Intermarché à Venelles a un œil pour l’artistique.

Bravo.

Today another new bird put in appearance in our back garden.

It was un pinson du nord – a brambling. Only the second time I had ever seen one.

Then, before you knew it there were four of them.

They really are a lovely bird – similar to the pinson des arbres but a bit more eye-catching – particularly the males with their black heads.

I managed to grab a photo of un pinson du nord, un pinson des arbres and un verdier d’europe in the same picture.

Today is Ash Wednesday and so it was time to go to Mass. I don’t think I’ve been before in France – I’m guessing work meant I always missed it.

So today was my first experience of getting ashed in France while the priest (Père Noel) said:

Souviens-toi que tu es poussière et que tu retourneras en poussière

Turns out French cendres are quite a lot lighter than their U.K. equivalent- so much so that you can hardly make out the white splodge on the top of my head.

I’ve had worse.